ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the concept of relationship marketing. It explains the very notion of relationship marketing, highlights how it can drive a company’s sustainable competitive advantage. The chapter describes what relationship marketing is, how it relates to and is distinct from other marketing domains, and how its meaning and terminology have evolved over time. It reviews several key trends that have shaped and reinforced relationship marketing’s role. The chapter focuses on the digital age as a mega-trend that continues to determine relationship marketing practices while simultaneously augmenting the relevance of effective relationship marketing strategies for any firms striving to survive in the challenging modern marketing environment. It also describes the relationship marketing with related areas to evaluate the potential overlap, and explores relationship marketing within a historical context by describing the evolution of the discipline and its terminology over time.
